Armed Forces Day at Utah’s Capitol
Since its beginnings over a decade ago, the Colonial Flag Foundation has joined with numerous communities around our nation in honoring America’s veterans. Healing Field® flag displays present a touching and healing experience for volunteers and visitors alike. It is, therefore, with particular satisfaction that we join KUED and the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs in remembering and honoring Utah’s veterans of the Vietnam Conflict.
On May 18th volunteers will post 364 United States Flags—one for each Utah veteran killed during the Vietnam War—around their monument located on the Capitol building’s west lawn. Each flag has a story and represents a life lost in far away Southeast Asia. Each flag symbolized not just one person killed in war, but family and friends. As they and the surviving Vietnam Veterans have only recently received appropriate recognition for their service and sacrifices, KUED’s documentary series, “Utah Vietnam War Stories,” takes on additional significance. The era of the war brought dissent, demonstrations and controversy which denied Vietnam veterans the homecoming afforded those of other wars. The KUED documentary presents unknown stories that document the service and sacrifice of Utahns in the Vietnam War.
Join with KUED and the Colonial Flag Foundation by visiting this inspiring display of the Stars and Stripes on May 18th as we remember and honor Utahns who struggled and sacrificed in a controversial and unpopular war. These veterans and their stories deserve to be known, remembered and honored.
May 12, 2013 No Comments
Colonial Flag Foundation Salutes Jim Ondrus
The Colonial Flag Foundation staff receives great satisfaction when hearing the stories about the impact that Healing Field and Field of Honor events have in communities across the country. Repeatedly local organizers tell how their communities unite through support of these awe-inspiring displays.
Additionally, producing these events provides exceptional opportunities to work with local leaders and service organizations in the host communities. Their leadership makes successful Field of Honor flag displays possible.
Jim and his wife Susan at the Jackson-Beldon Chamber of Commerce meeting when Jim received the Howard L. Kruman Memorial Award as the Outstanding Citizen of 2012.
Jim Ondrus of Jackson Township in Ohio is one of our exceptional local leaders, and that is not just our judgment. On the 24th of April, the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce honored Jim with the Howard L. Kruman Memorial Award as the Outstanding Citizen of 2012. Jim reported that “The main driver for this award was definitely the Field of Honor/Field of Heroes event for Memorial Day 2012.” This award validates our opinion of Jim’s leadership, and we wholeheartedly concur with the Chamber of Commerce in their selection. Congratulations, Jim.
A visit to Westerville’s Field of Honor convinced Jim that the Jackson Township provided an ideal setting for a similar display of the Stars and Stripes. He presented a proposal to his Rotary Club and obtained their enthusiastic support. With the assistance of the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Police Department, the Fire Department, local schools and the entire Jackson Township community, Jim turned vision into reality as Boy Scouts, students and other volunteers posted more than 900 U.S. flags at the Township’s Safety Center
Nothing breeds success like success, and last year’s Field of Honor flag display in Jackson Township predicts an amazing event for Memorial Day this year. Just as he did last year, Jim is busy coordinating the efforts of many individuals and organizations. It is a busy time for everyone, but Jim is already planning for the 2014 Jackson Township Field of Honor. He is anxious to see the tradition continue, and we couldn’t agree more.
Some of the Jackson Township Field of Honor Team at last years successful event.
Flags in formation present a beautiful and inspiring sight.
May 1, 2013 No Comments
Disneyland’s Avenue of Flags
Disneyland is known as the Happiest Place on Earth, and for lovers of flags the world’s oldest theme park does not disappoint. A previous posting on flag-post.com told the story of Disneyland’s main flagpole. While the flagpole—located at the center of Town Square—was the center of ceremonies at the Park’s dedication, other flag displays also figured prominently on opening day.
Plaque at the base of Frontierland’s flagpole.
When the gate to the Frontierland Stockade swung open for the first time, a flagpole greeted guests headed toward the Rivers of America and the Mark Twain Steamboat landing. On the broadcast of the Park’s dedication, Disney read a dedication plaque that he planned to have cast in brass for placement at the base of Frontierland’s flagpole. However, money was very scarce as the Park reached completion. The Frontierland dedication plaque was never cast; however, a plaque is attached at the flagpole’s base. It is a plaque presented by the American Humane Association recognizing Disney’s “extending humane ideals to peoples throughout the world.” Apparently it was presented just in time to be placed in Frontierland. Apparently, being the happiest place in the world qualifies as a “humane ideal.”
More interestingly, the lack of construction funds resulted in a prominent display of flags in Tomorrowland. Actually, both construction money and building time were insufficient to complete everything Disney planned for his Magic Kingdom. The lack of time and money was most apparent in Tomorrowland which could boast only three attractions on opening day. Even with the space filled by Autopia, Space Station X-1 and Circarama—Tomorrowland had a lot of bare ground begging to be filled with something. Of course not just anything would do; it had to be colorful, lively, meaningful, easy to construct, and—compared to the Autopia freeway system—inexpensive.
Tomorrowland’s Court of Honor exhibit provided flags and poles for the Avenue of Flags.
The answer: flags, a display of the forty-eight state flags with a taller pole flying the Stars and Stripes. The forty-eight states certainly had a place in America’s future, and you can never go wrong unfurling Old Glory to the wind. Workmen created the Court of Honor within an eight pointed star shaped flower box. Each of the eight points had a line of six flag poles running to join at the star’s center where the taller pole for the U.S. flag stood. Since the display stood in Tomorrowland where the Astro-Jets would later be built, it is interesting that the realm of the future—built in 1955 but intended to represent the world of 1986—did not foresee the addition of two new states entering the union by 1960. Perhaps they couldn’t figure out how to fit fifty state flags in the eight pointed star.
On the other hand, the display of flags honoring the states foresaw Colonial Flag Foundation’s Field of Honor® flag displays which would not be created for almost fifty years. Now, that would be predicting the future.
In March of 1956 workmen removed the Court of Honor exhibit of state flags to make way for the Astro-Jets Tomorrowland attraction. Nevertheless, the flag and poles were put to new use lining the walkway from Disneyland’s central hub to Tomorrowland’s growing list of attractions. The walkway quickly dubbed the Avenue of Flags provided a colorful and lively entrance into Disneyland’s realm of the future until 1966 when Tomorrowland received a facelift. While the flags and poles are gone, Park old timers still call the trail from the Hub to Tomorrowland the Avenue of Flags.
The Avenue of Flags welcomed Disneyland guests to Tomorrowland for almost a decade.
April 25, 2013 No Comments